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Experiential Learning

Any parent knows that learning can occur just as meaningfully outside the school walls as it can inside the classroom.

At The Sterling Hall School, we embrace experiential learning and look for ways to expand our students’ minds with trips that take them outside the school and help them connect with the world around them for enhanced academic, social and emotional development.

Normally, all grades enjoy full day trips throughout the year, where boys learn to connect their in-class learning to the world around them. No matter how long or short the trip, in-class preparation and follow-up activities link the experience with the curriculum. At this time, however, with the health and safety of our community as our top priority, SHS will be considering the advice of local and global health experts, to ensure that we meet or exceed provincial health and safety guidelines. For this reason our trips will be postponed until further notice. 

When trips are safe to resume, we will engage boys with longer trips at every level, as we do each year. Every September, each grade also participates in an experiential learning trip that helps boys to develop positive, connected relationships with teachers and one another at the very outset of the year.

From Grades 3 and up, overnight trips offer further transformation as boys get to challenge themselves, build their resilience and create memories that last a lifetime.

Senior boys are invited to participate in week-long excursions, including a wilderness adventure experience at Temagami. The experiential learning program is purposefully designed and scaffolded to build boys’ leadership skills and character strengths throughout their years at SHS.

Here is a list of prior years' overnight excursions by grade:

  • Grades 1 & 2 - Treewalk Village (day trip)
  • Grade 3 - Adventureworks!
  • Grade 4 & 5 - Camp Wahanowin
  • Grade 6 - Camp Kandalore (fall trip), Ottawa (spring trip)
  • Grade 7 - Camp Kandalore (fall trip), Quebec City (spring trip)
  • Grade 8 - Northwaters Langskib - Temagami Canoe Trip (fall trip), Washington, DC (spring trip)
  • Grades 7 & 8 - Community Service Trip to Ecuador (optional, limited, alternate years)